Police Officer And Three Others Injured In Crash

November 10, 2004|By MATT BURGARD; Courant Staff Writer

A Hartford police officer was taken to the hospital along with three other people Tuesday after her cruiser was struck by a car and then veered into an oncoming van at the corner of Garden and Pliny streets, police said.

The officer, who was not identified, suffered serious injuries in the crash, which happened about 3 p.m., but she was expected to recover, police said. The conditions of the drivers of the other two vehicles involved in the crash were not available Tuesday afternoon, but police said they also were expected to recover.

Police said the crash happened as the officer was attempting to make a left turn from Garden onto Pliny. As the cruiser made the turn, it was struck by an oncoming Chevrolet Lumina heading the opposite way on Garden Street, police said.

Other witnesses, however, said the officer seemed to be attempting a U-turn by spinning around on Garden Street and trying to head back down Pliny.

As the cruiser made its turn onto Pliny, it was T-boned by the Lumina, causing heavy damage to the passenger side of the cruiser and pushing it toward the north side of Pliny, witnesses said. Witnesses said the Lumina appeared to be going at a high rate of speed.

The cruiser then slid into an oncoming minivan approaching the intersection westbound on Pliny, causing further damage to the cruiser's front end and smashing the front of the van, police said.

The driver and a passenger from the minivan, and the driver of the Lumina, along with the officer, were taken to St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, police said.